Astronomers have reclassified the near-Earth object (875163) 1998 SH2 as a comet following observations that revealed outgassing, a process previously masked by its asteroid-like appearance. According to research published in Nature Astronomy by Dr. Davide Farnocchia and his team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the object’s unexpected orbital deviations confirmed it is venting gas, leading … Read more
Astronomers have identified LHS 1140b as a rocky exoplanet with a helium-rich atmosphere, marking the first clear evidence of a potentially habitable planet with an atmosphere. According to a study published in the journal Science, the planet resides in its star’s habitable zone, where temperatures allow for the existence of liquid water. LHS 1140b: A … Read more
Solar storm risks to Earth’s infrastructure may be significantly underestimated because there is no known upper limit to how the planet responds to solar wind, according to a study published in Nature. Research led by Nithin Sivadas of NASA and Maria Walach from Lancaster University suggests that previous beliefs in a “leveling off” of atmospheric … Read more
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully navigated its Hayabusa2 spacecraft within 800 meters of the near-Earth asteroid Torifune on Sunday. This fly-by serves as a critical test for planetary defense technologies, aiming to prove that space agencies can precisely maneuver probes to monitor or deflect potentially hazardous space rocks before they threaten Earth. How … Read more
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft has confirmed that the main-belt asteroid Donaldjohanson exhibits a complex “tumbling” rotation, spinning on two axes while traveling through space. Data published June 18, 2026, in the journal Science reveals the asteroid rotates end-over-end every 10.5 days, while simultaneously wobbling around a horizontal axis every 26.5 days, according to Dr. Simone Marchi … Read more
Meteorite Northwest Africa 12774 (NWA 12774) contains mineral evidence suggesting it originated from a destroyed protoplanet rather than a small asteroid. According to research led by Dr. Aaron Bell of the University of Colorado Boulder, the presence of aluminum-rich clinopyroxene indicates the rock formed under high pressure within a body at least 1,000 kilometers in … Read more
Planetary scientists have identified evidence of a massive asteroid impact on the Moon occurring 3.5 billion years ago, providing a vital timeline for the bombardment of the inner Solar System. By analyzing the lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 12593, researchers led by Dr. Carolyn Crow at the University of Colorado, Boulder, linked this lunar event … Read more
Uranus’ largest moons may not be ancient, primordial bodies but rather the result of at least two cycles of destruction and reassembly. According to a study published in the journal Icarus, the planet’s current moon system likely formed from the debris of previous satellites shattered by a massive planetary tilt and subsequent gravitational instability during … Read more
The New Frontier of Space Weather: What the Zwan-Wolf Effect Means for Mars For decades, we viewed the vacuum of space as a silent void. But for any spacecraft orbiting Mars, it’s more like a chaotic ocean of charged particles and magnetic fluctuations. A recent breakthrough by NASA’s MAVEN mission has just revealed a new … Read more
The Hidden Danger of “Fluffy Ice”: How Europa and Enceladus Could Sabotage Future Space Missions When NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) plan missions to Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Enceladus, they’re chasing one of the most tantalizing prospects in space exploration: liquid water oceans hidden beneath thick layers of ice. These icy … Read more